How to Make a Cardboard Truck

About the Author

Guy Gardner has worked as a writer since 2007, with work published in "The Prescott Russell News" and on various websites. He is also an experienced academic researcher, teacher and traveler. Gardner holds a Master of Arts in political economy from Carleton University and a certificate in Chinese language from Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Kids seem to love empty boxes almost as much as store-bought toys. These big empty boxes encourage games that require imagination as the box serves as everything from a rocket ship to a wagon. If your child likes to play with boxes and has a creative or artistic interest, then you can encourage that creativity by building a cardboard truck.

Things You'll Need

Cut off the four flaps from the opening at the top of the cardboard box using scissors or a knife.

Paint the cardboard box the color you would like for your cardboard truck. Use acrylic paint and a paint brush. Do not paint your truck white or blue as this will make your windows or bumper invisible. Let the paint dry.

Paint four paper plates to resemble the wheels of the truck. Paint the inner circle of the wheel grey or silver and the outside “tire” black. Let the plates dry.

Glue two wheels to each side of the truck. Place them on the bottom corners of the cardboard box using paper glue.

Cut out a rectangle and two squares from blue construction paper using scissors. These will be the windshield and side windows of your truck. Glue the windows in place on the front and sides of your truck using paper glue. Let the glue dry.

Cut a strip of white construction paper. Make it as long as the front of your box and about 1 foot wide. This will be the bumper of the truck. Glue this in place on the lower front of the box using paper glue.

Cut two circles from white construction paper. Make each about 6 inches in diameter. These will be the headlights of the truck. Glue them in place above the bumper and below the windows using paper glue. Let the glue dry.

Let your child add stickers or draw a fun design on the side of the truck with markers or crayons to customize the look.

Let your child know that sitting or jumping on the edges of the cardboard sides could cause the truck to collapse.